Method and system of in home wi-fi access point replication

Abstract

A method for replication of an access point includes: establishing, by a computing device, a first communication channel with a first access point of an area network; receiving, by a receiver of the computing device, configuration data from the first access point using the first communication channel, wherein the configuration data includes at least a network identifier and password associated with the area network; establishing, by the computing device, a second communication channel with a second access point; and electronically transmitting, by a transmitter of the computing device, the configuration data to the second access point using the second communication channel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for replication of an access point, comprising:
 establishing, by a computing device, a first communication channel with a first access point of an area network; 
 receiving, by a receiver of the computing device, configuration data from the first access point using the first communication channel, wherein the configuration data includes at least a network identifier and password associated with the area network; 
 establishing, by the computing device, a second communication channel with a second access point; 
 electronically transmitting, by a transmitter of the computing device, the configuration data to the second access point using the second communication channel; 
 receiving, by an input device interfaced with the computing device, authentication data including at least a username and an associated password; and 
 electronically transmitting, by the transmitter of the computing device, the authentication data to the first access point using the first communication channel, wherein 
 the authentication data is transmitted to the first access point prior to receiving the configuration data from the first access point. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first communication channel and the second communication channel use a different communication protocol from the area network. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting, by the computing device, a plurality of access points including the first access point and the second access point; 
 displaying, on a display device interfaced with the computing device, a list of the plurality of access points; and 
 receiving, by an input device interfaced with the computing device, a selection of the first access point and a selection of the second access point. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying, by a display device interfaced with the computing device, a list of configuration options; and 
 receiving, by an input device interfaced with the computing device, a selection of one or more configuration options, wherein 
 the configuration data received from the first access point includes configuration options corresponding to the received selection of one or more configuration options. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second access point is configured to join the area network using the transmitted configuration data and receive additional configuration data from the first access point using the area network. 
     
     
       6. A method for replication of an access point, comprising:
 establishing, by a computing device, a first communication channel with a first access point of an area network; 
 receiving, by a receiver of the computing device, configuration data from the first access point using the first communication channel, wherein the configuration data includes at least a network identifier and password associated with the area network; 
 establishing, by the computing device, a second communication channel with a second access point; 
 electronically transmitting, by a transmitter of the computing device, the configuration data to the second access point using the second communication channel; 
 receiving, by the receiver of the computing device, alternative configuration data from the second access point using the second communication channel, wherein the alternative configuration data includes at least a network identifier and password associated with a second network; and 
 electronically transmitting, by the transmitter of the computing device, the alternative configuration data to the first access point using the first communication channel. 
 
     
     
       7. A system for replication of an access point, comprising:
 a transmitter of a computing device; 
 a communications interface of the computing device configured to establish a first communication channel with a first access point of an area network; 
 a receiver of the computing device configured to receive configuration data from the first access point using the first communication channel, wherein the configuration data includes at least a network identifier and password associated with the area network; and 
 an input device interfaced with the computing device configured to receive authentication data including at least a username and an associated password; 
 wherein the communications interface of the computing device is further configured to establish a second communication channel with a second access point, 
 the transmitter of the computing device is configured to electronically transmit the configuration data to the second access point using the second communication channel, 
 the transmitter of the computing device is further configured to electronically transmit the authentication data to the first access point using the first communication channel, and 
 the authentication data is transmitted to the first access point prior to receiving the configuration data from the first access point. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first communication channel and the second communication channel use a different communication protocol from the area network. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a detection module of the computing device configured to detect a plurality of access points including the first access point and the second access point; 
 a display device interfaced with the computing device configured to display a list of the plurality of access points; and 
 an input device interfaced with the computing device configured to display a selection of the first access point and a selection of the second access point. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a display device interfaced with the computing device configured to display a list of configuration options; and 
 an input device interfaced with the computing device configured to receive a selection of one or more configuration options, wherein 
 the configuration data received from the first access point includes configuration options corresponding to the received selection of one or more configuration options. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the second access point is configured to join the area network using the transmitted configuration data and receive additional configuration data from the first access point using the area network. 
     
     
       12. A system for replication of an access point, comprising:
 a transmitter of a computing device; 
 a communications interface of the computing device configured to establish a first communication channel with a first access point of an area network; and 
 a receiver of the computing device configured to receive configuration data from the first access point using the first communication channel, wherein the configuration data includes at least a network identifier and password associated with the area network; 
 wherein the communications interface of the computing device is further configured to establish a second communication channel with a second access point, 
 the transmitter of the computing device is configured to electronically transmit the configuration data to the second access point using the second communication channel, 
 the receiver of the computing device is further configured to receive alternative configuration data from the second access point using the second communication channel, wherein the alternative configuration data includes at least a network identifier and password associated with a second network, and 
 the transmitter of the computing device is further configured to electronically transmit the alternative configuration data to the first access point using the first communication channel. 
 
     
     
       13. A non-transitory computer readable media having instructions operable to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 establishing, by a computing device, a first communication channel with a first access point of an area network; 
 receiving, by a receiver of the computing device, configuration data from the first access point using the first communication channel, wherein the configuration data includes at least a network identifier and password associated with the area network; 
 establishing, by the computing device, a second communication channel with a second access point; 
 electronically transmitting, by a transmitter of the computing device, the configuration data to the second access point using the second communication channel; 
 receiving, by the receiver of the computing device, alternative configuration data from the second access point using the second communication channel, wherein the alternative configuration data includes at least a network identifier and password associated with a second network; and 
 electronically transmitting, by the transmitter of the computing device, the alternative configuration data to the first access point using the first communication channel. 
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 13 , wherein the first communication channel and the second communication channel use a different communication protocol from the area network. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 13 , being further configured to perform the operations comprising:
 detecting, by the computing device, a plurality of access points including the first access point and the second access point; 
 displaying, on a display device interfaced with the computing device, a list of the plurality of access points; and 
 receiving, by an input device interfaced with the computing device, a selection of the first access point and a selection of the second access point. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 13 , being further configured to perform the operations comprising:
 displaying, by a display device interfaced with the computing device, a list of configuration options; and 
 receiving, by an input device interfaced with the computing device, a selection of one or more configuration options, wherein 
 the configuration data received from the first access point includes configuration options corresponding to the received selection of one or more configuration options. 
 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer readable media having instructions operable to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 establishing, by a computing device, a first communication channel with a first access point of an area network; 
 receiving, by a receiver of the computing device, configuration data from the first access point using the first communication channel, wherein the configuration data includes at least a network identifier and password associated with the area network; 
 establishing, by the computing device, a second communication channel with a second access point; 
 electronically transmitting, by a transmitter of the computing device, the configuration data to the second access point using the second communication channel; 
 receiving, by an input device interfaced with the computing device, authentication data including at least a username and an associated password; and 
 electronically transmitting, by the transmitter of the computing device, the authentication data to the first access point using the first communication channel, wherein 
 the authentication data is transmitted to the first access point prior to receiving the configuration data from the first access point.